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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28891077">vulnerable</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leafspeaks/pseuds/Leafspeaks'>Leafspeaks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting, written platonically but interpret as you wish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:07:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,252</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28891077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leafspeaks/pseuds/Leafspeaks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>minho thinks hiding a sickness is the best way to deal with it and is proven wrong</p><p>cw: graphic depictions of vomit</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan &amp; Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>vulnerable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this was <a href="https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/post/187702079335/hii-can-i-request-a-minho-when-hes-sick-but-hides">from a request i got on tumblr</a>!  feel free to <a href="https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/ask">send me more asks</a> if you'd like something specific written! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">minho was not the most emotionally available person in the world.nobody had ever said he was one to wear his heart on his sleeve.minho knew this, his family knew it, the rest of stray kids knew it, and most of the time, it was just fine that way.like all things, it was a matter of balance, and sometimes, just sometimes, minho took it a bit too far.</p><p class="p1">say, for example, the time he felt like death and decided to play it off until the problem just magically went away.</p><p class="p1">to be fair, a part of minho felt guilty, but his fevered brain couldn’t quite grasp why.he really just didn’t want to be more of a bother than he needed to be.there was nothing wrong with that.</p><p class="p1">and yet, a tiny little voice in his head said otherwise.it said that his members would be very upset by this train of thought.</p><p class="p1">he shrugged it off, unable to make sense of it, and went about his days as usual.if he had to make a couple extra trips to the bathroom just to make sure he didn’t throw up during the radio show or at practice… well, no one else needed to know.he hadn’t <em>actually</em> been sick most of the time, usually just done a long of sweating and shaking and gagging, so there really wasn’t anything to tell, anyway.</p><p class="p1">a few days passed that way, the pain gradually worsening throughout the day, and then lightening up by the next morning.minho had grown so used to the nausea that he hardly noticed it.he figured he was managing well, because no one had said anything about him being off, and if he noticed himself making a few more mistakes during practice than normal, at least no one else seemed to.</p><p class="p1">it wasn’t until five days after minho had started feeling off that he slipped up.so far, he’d gotten away with eating on his own most of the time, coming up with some excuse like wanting to watch netflix or something.a few times, when he’d had no way out, he’d just eaten as little as possible.granted, he’d been sick after, but he’d kept his problems to himself and that’s what mattered.</p><p class="p1">one problem was that he’d started getting shaky and lightheaded.another was that he hadn’t been able keep his own thoughts in order.and a third was that it was the end of the week, the end of a very long day, and he still felt like he was going to puke from having eaten more at lunch time than he should have.</p><p class="p1">and so, he couldn’t find an excuse to get out of extra practice.he <em>had</em> made more mistakes than normal throughout the week, and everyone else was going, so he let himself be whisked along with everyone else.</p><p class="p1">he was doing alright until they took a break, and whatever adrenaline was keeping him going until then vanished.his head started pounding and he thought if he stood any longer, he would faint, so he collapsed onto the floor.he couldn’t get his breathing under control.</p><p class="p1">“minho-hyung?”felix was looking down at him.“you okay?”</p><p class="p1">“i’m—“ he didn’t know what to say.he couldn’t really breathe.</p><p class="p1">“minho?what’s wrong?”chan placed a hand on minho’s shoulder and frowned.</p><p class="p1">“hyung, his forehead’s warm,” felix informed, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.the others were starting to crowd around, but seungmin reminded everyone to give them space, and minho was vaguely grateful.chan helped him sit up, a steady hand on his back.</p><p class="p1">“you should be able to breathe better sitting up.”</p><p class="p1">minho nodded and ducked his head between his knees, trying with everything he had to get himself under control.instead, he got very lightheaded, and then threw up on the floor between his legs.it came out in a rush, splattering his pants and shoes.minho felt tears prick his eyes and stubbornly refused to let them fall.</p><p class="p1">“okay,” chan said.“let it out, minho, it’s okay.”</p><p class="p1">it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.he was totally out of control of the rapid heaves caused by his convulsing stomach.after the first two waves, the amount of vomit coming up decreased significantly, but the nausea remained just as present.it just hurt more, when less came up.minho wished it would come up quicker, so he could just be done with it - and eventually it did.a projectile rush of sick, more ushered up as he heaved again in the middle, and he wondered if he could suffocate and die like this.</p><p class="p1">and then suddenly it was over.the nausea still lingered, but his stomach felt empty, once again.chan wiped sweat from minho’s face, and helped him lean back against the wall.</p><p class="p1">looking around the room, minho realized everyone else had cleared out.</p><p class="p1">“i told them to go ahead to the cars,” chan explained.minho nodded blearily.“hell, minho, you’re so thin… how long have you been sick?”</p><p class="p1">for some reason, that was the last straw, and tears started streaming down minho’s face.“i’m—“ he gasped, the tears more than he was prepared to handle.“i’m sorry, hyung,” he sobbed.</p><p class="p1">“hey,” chan cupped a hand behind minho’s head and pulled him into a gentle hug.“hey, i’m not mad, but minho, i need to know, i need to know that you’re okay.how long?”</p><p class="p1">“almost a week,” minho answered.“i— it wasn’t so bad at first, i didn’t throw up until two days ago.”</p><p class="p1">“fuck.so, what, you’ve just not been eating for a week?why didn’t you tell us?”</p><p class="p1">“five days,” minho corrected, his tears slowing.it was somewhat reassuring, telling chan what was going on.minho hadn’t quite acknowledged how scary it all was to himself, but seeing chan’s reaction, knowing someone cared and would help him figure things out… something in his chest warmed a bit.“and i just didn’t want to bother any of you.we’ve been so busy—“</p><p class="p1">minho stopped talking, looking at chan’s face.his expression was just: infinite sadness.devastation.regret.and maybe some guilt.minho didn’t want that.he started to protest, but chan held up a hand.</p><p class="p1">“minho, you are never a bother.i need you to know that.it’s true for me, and for everyone else in stray kids, and i’m sorry we didn’t make that more clear.”</p><p class="p1">“no, hyung—“</p><p class="p1">chan shook his head.“let’s talk about it more later, after you’ve had some rest, yeah?”</p><p class="p1">minho <em>was</em> exhausted.he nodded, and let chan support him to the parking lot.</p><p class="p1">the rest of the boys hadn’t even gotten in their respective cars yet.</p><p class="p1">“what are you all doing?”chan asked.</p><p class="p1">“we were worried,we wanted to wait for minho-hyung,” jisung explained, looking defiant.chan just chuckled.</p><p class="p1">“i’m okay,” minho said, managing a small but genuine smile.“or, well… i will be.i just, would like to go home, now.”</p><p class="p1">the rest of the boys expressed their agreement and piled into the cars, letting minho have his choice of seat, offering him water, and cuddles or some space - his choice.minho, for his part, was so exhausted that he was asleep before he even voiced a decision, but in the end it didn’t matter - he felt safe.</p><p class="p1">minho didn’t always have the easiest time being vulnerable.that was just a fact.but he thought, as he drifted off, that maybe next time it would be just a bit easier.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i know that leaving comments can be stressful and difficult for a million different reasons, so here are some short, copy-and-paste comments which are 110% acceptable to use if you'd like to provide me with some encouragement, but don't have the time or energy to come up with your own:</p><p>1) "Just read this for a second time!”<br/>2) “I loved this!”<br/>2) “&lt;3″<br/>4) “This was great!”<br/>5) “One of my favorites!”<br/>6) “Extra kudos!”<br/>7) Reply to another comment with “all of this!″ or “+1″<br/>8) “Will definitely recommend this!”<br/>9) “This was my favorite part: [paste quote]”<br/>10) “Thanks for writing this!”</p><p>still don't want to leave a comment? no worries! i hope you enjoyed the story nonetheless!</p><p>if you'd like to see me write something else, feel free to send requests!  you can also send me mail <a href="https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/ask">through my tumblr account</a> :)</p><p>if you don't mind taking a minute, feel free too fill out my anonymous reader survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7CRYLPT">here</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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